📚 Grant Resources

A comprehensive collection of resources for grant seekers including researchers, open-source maintainers, and builders.

Grant Writing Guides & Tutorials
Grant Search Platforms & Databases
Proposal Management Tools
Community Forums & Support Groups
1. Reddit Communities
2. Professional Communities
Blogs & Newsletters
Podcasts
Books
1. Beginner-Friendly
2. Specialized
Webinars & Training
1. Federal Agency Webinars (Free)
2. Professional Training
Mentorship Programs
1. Free Academic Mentorship
Success Rate Statistics
1. NIH Statistics
2. NSF Statistics
Quick Tips for Success

Grant Writing Guides & Tutorials

University Resources (Free)

Institution	Resource	Description	Link
Stanford University	Grant Writing Academy	Comprehensive video tutorials, templates, and bootcamps for NSF and NIH applications	Visit
Stanford Medicine	Grant Writing Resources	The science and art of grant writing	Visit
MIT	Communication Lab	Detailed guides on proposal structure with clear success criteria	Visit
University of Oregon	NSF Proposal Writing	90-minute video trainings and templates	Visit

Federal Agency Resources (Free)

Agency	Resource	Description	Link
NSF	Proposal & Award Policies Guide	Essential authoritative reference	Visit
NSF	Funding Preparation	Official guidance and sample applications	Visit
NIH	Write Application Hub	Comprehensive application writing guidance	Visit
NIH	General Grant Writing Tips	Section-by-section guidance	Visit

Online Courses

Platform	Course	Cost	Description	Link
Coursera	Grant Writing Courses	Free to Audit	Multiple courses available	Visit
Coursera	Grant Writing for Health Researchers	Free to Audit	University of Colorado specialization	Visit
NonprofitReady.org	Grant Writing Classes	Free	Free certificate program	Visit
Udemy	Just Start Grant Writing	Free	By certified grant writer Rodney Walker	Visit

Grant Search Platforms & Databases

Comprehensive Databases

Platform	Cost	Features	Best For	Link
Instrumentl	$179-449/month	410,000+ funders, AI-powered matching, lifecycle management	Nonprofits & small orgs	Visit
Foundation Directory Online	$35.54-126.58/month	140,000+ U.S. grantmakers, 990 financial data	All organizations	Visit
Pivot-RP	Institutional	13,000+ sponsors, $70B+ in funding, AI-driven matching	Academic researchers	Institutional
GrantForward	Institutional	63,000+ grants from 30,000+ sponsors	Academic researchers	Visit

Budget-Friendly Options

Platform	Cost	Features	Best For	Link
Grant Gopher	$9/month	U.S.-based nonprofit grants	Budget-conscious nonprofits	Contact
GrantStation	$699/year	7,000+ funders including Canadian opportunities	Diverse funding needs	Contact
GrantWatch	$200/year	8,000+ grants from foundations, corporations, government	Small nonprofits	Contact

Free Government Portals

Country/Region	Portal	Description	Link
United States	Grants.gov	Required entry point for all U.S. federal grants (26 agencies)	Visit
European Union	EU Funding & Tenders Portal	All European Commission funding including Horizon Europe (€95.5B)	Visit
United Kingdom	UKRI Apply for Funding	UK research council funding portal	Visit
Australia	GrantConnect	Australian government grants	Visit

Proposal Management Tools

Tool	Cost	Features	Best For	Link
Instrumentl	$179-449/month	Grant database + task management + deadline tracking + AI writing	All organizations	Visit
GrantHub	$95-349/month	GrantStation database + funder tracking + document storage	Integrated discovery & management	Contact
AmpliFund	Enterprise	Compliance tracking, audit support	Large organizations	Visit

Community Forums & Support Groups

Reddit Communities

Community	Members	Focus	Link
r/AskAcademia	2.1M+	Academic careers and funding discussions	Visit
r/GradSchool	Large	Graduate school support including research funding	Visit
r/nonprofit	8,700+	Practical grant writing discussions	Visit
r/opensource	297,000+	Open-source sustainability and funding	Visit

Professional Communities

Platform	Community	Members	Focus	Link
LinkedIn	Grant Professionals Association	Large	Certification path (GPC), conferences, local chapters	Visit
Slack	DataTalks.Club	13,300+	Data analytics and ML	Visit
Slack	MLOps Community	9,300+	Production ML	Visit
ResearchGate	Research Community	20M+	Publication sharing, funding discussions	Visit

Blogs & Newsletters

Blog	Author/Publisher	Focus	Link
Learn Grant Writing Blog	Meredith Noble	Federal grants, freelancing, career development	Visit
Instrumentl Blog	Instrumentl	Grant prospecting and proposal writing	Visit
Grant Writing Simplified	Teresa Huff	Nonprofit consulting, 20+ years experience	Visit
Seliger + Associates	Isaac and Jake Seliger	Federal grants, NIH/NSF expertise	Visit
GrantWriterTeam Blog	GrantWriterTeam	Emerging trends, AI in grant writing	Visit

Podcasts

Podcast	Host	Stats/Description	Link
Grant Writing & Funding	Holly Rustick	#1 globally, 200+ episodes, students secured $61M in grants in 2023	Visit
Grant Writing Simplified	Teresa Huff	100,000+ downloads from 140+ countries	Visit
Behind the Grantmaker’s Curtain	Instrumentl	Interviews with funders providing insider perspectives	Search podcasts
Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio	Tony Martignetti	600+ episodes with expert guests	Search podcasts

Books

Beginner-Friendly

Title	Author	Description	Link
Grant Writing for Dummies (7th Ed)	Dr. Beverly A. Browning	40 years experience securing $450M+	Amazon/Bookstores
How to Write a Grant	Meredith Noble	#1 bestseller in nonprofit fundraising	Amazon/Bookstores
The Only Grant-Writing Book You’ll Ever Need (5th Ed)	Ellen Karsh & Arlen Sue Fox	Former director of NYC Mayor’s Office	Amazon/Bookstores

Specialized

Title	Author/Publisher	Focus	Link
Successful Grant Writing (5th Ed)	Springer Publishing	Health and human services, NIH-specific guidance	Visit
Winning Grants Step by Step (4th Ed)	Various	Interactive workbook for hands-on learning	Amazon/Bookstores

Webinars & Training

Federal Agency Webinars (Free)

Agency	Program	Description	Link
NSF	Webinars/Webcasts	Monthly webinars on CISE programs, research security, I-Corps	Visit
NIH	Grants Process for Beginners	2-part series	Visit
NIH/NIGMS	Grant Writing Webinar Series	3-part series for capacity building	Visit

Professional Training

Organization	Program	Cost	Duration	Link
NCURA	NSF Fundamentals Workshop	$150-200	3.25-4 hours CEU credits	Visit

Mentorship Programs

Free Academic Mentorship

Program	Organization	Focus	Duration	Link
NRMN	National Research Mentoring Network	F32, K99/R00, K-mechanisms, R-mechanisms coaching	3-6 months	Visit
FRED	ASCB	Senior postdocs and junior faculty	Year-long	Visit
Grant Writing Mentorship	USC ASHSS	Arts, humanities, social sciences faculty	Varies	Visit

Success Rate Statistics

NIH Statistics

Resource	Description	Link
NIH RePORT	Comprehensive grant funding data	Visit
NIH Data Book	Competing Applications, Awards, and Success Rates	Visit
Success Rates	Overall 20-22%, R01 typically 18-22%	Visit

NSF Statistics

Metric	Value
Success Rate	Generally 15-30% varying by program
Note	Program officers provide specific information

Quick Tips for Success

Start Early - Most successful grant applications take 3-6 months of preparation

Read Reviewer Guidelines - Understanding how your proposal will be evaluated is critical

Get Feedback - Have colleagues review your proposal before submission

Follow Instructions - Strict adherence to format and page limits is essential

Build Relationships - Connect with program officers and previous awardees

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